Extraction of zinc



. s. BERGLUND.

EXTRACTION 0F ZINC.

APPuclmoN FILED SEPT. l2. 191s.

1,331,740. Patented Fb. 24,1920. l

- ment is carried out within the condenser,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

EDWARD SALOMON BERGLUND, 0F TBDLIHTTAN, SWEDEN, ASSIGNO T0 SVENl HULDT, 0F STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. l

EXTBACTION 0F ZINC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that-I, EDWARD SALOMON BERGLUND, residing at Trollhttan, Sweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements l Relating to the Extraction of Zinc, of which the following is a specification.

In the extraction of zinc a mixture of fluid zinc and zinc powder (poussire) is formed in the condenser, as is well known. The zinc powder consists of small particles of liquid zinc, which with difficulty conjoin to a fluid mass, mainly because they are covered. with a thin film of zinc oxid or fine dust of ore, carbon or the like.

For obtaining the maximum amount of fluid zinc from this mixture and causing the zinc particles to conjoin, it has beenproposed to subject the zinc,powder to a mechanical treatment, having for object to liberate the zinc particles from the said lm and bring the metallic particles together. Such mechanical treatment has been carried out within as well as outside the condenser, and has been performedby means of wis like devices, rolls or the like.

In practical employment of said devices certain difiiculties have arisen. -If the treatdifficulties arise in the satisfactory mechanically working ofthe devices owing to the v heat, and the deposit of zinc in the bearings and tightening means. If the treatment is carried out outside the condenser, it is diicult to protect the powder from oxidation.

A method for treating zinc powder within the condenser avoiding the inconvenience referred to, has therefore long been desired.

The present invention refers to such a.

method and consists in subjecting the zinc particles within the condenser to a rubbing and pressure by the aid of a'rotating screw, situated in the zinc powder-or mixture of fluid zinc and powder, forcing the zinc powder through an opening, which may constitute the outlet opening of the condenser.

The following advantages are hereby l gained :-`The device can be mounted without ditculty in the condenser, so as toi work mechanically well, the required tightening of the screw and its shaft being performed by the powder itself. Special tightening means, which are easily destroyed by? the heat in the condenser or by the zinc will therefore be unnecessary. The zinc powder is subjected to a pressure, the amount of whichniay be varled by varying the pitch and length of the screw and the size of the opening. It will thus Vbe ject the zinc powder a sufficiently lo time to the necessary rubbing and to a sufficientlyl great pressure for cleaning the particles in the most efficient wayzfrom the film which covers them, and to compress the particles to a l-uid mass.

If the said opening forms the outlet operiing of the condenser, which is preferable, a further advantage is gained in that the sible to subl usual rakin' out by hand of the zinc powder, which is a troublesome and dangerous operation, is avoided;

The accompanying diagmmmatically -a device for carryg out the invention. Figure' l isa verti seotion of the lower part of a condenser, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

1 indicates the condenser, on the bottom of which -a mixture 2 of-fluid zinc and zinc powder collects. A screw 3, which is journaled with one end outside the condenser and is provided with a driving wheel 4, passes with the other end through a chamber 5 to the opposite condenser wall where it is journaled at 6 in any suitable manner. 7 indicates a receiver or chamber for the extracted fluid zinc, fitted to the opening 'ofv the chamber 5. The screw 3 is embedded in the mixture 2 of fluid zinc and `zinc pow` der, which thus itself forms thetightenin at the places where the screw goes throng the condenser walls.- By varying the size of the chamber 5 and its opening in relation to the diameter of the screw 3 and the length of the chamber 5 and the pitch of the screw and thereby thev desired preure may be' obtained v drawing illustrates of the screw in rel-ation to the length A tion against eachother, feeding the material through the condenser; subjecting the maferial to pressure and discharging it.

2. A method of treating a mixture of .particles of fluid zinc and powder, consisty ing in collecting the material in a condenser;

subjecting the particles -to 'mutual friction against each other by forcing it to follow a' helical path, feeding the material through the condenser; subjecting the material to pressure and discharging it.

3. An apparatus for treating a mixture of particles of fluid zinc and powder, com- Y prising a chamber for collecting the mixture, a revolving conveyer screw in the lower part of such chamber and embedded in said mixture, a compreion'chamber, receiving the mixture from the first named chamber, and an outlet to said compression chamber through which the treated product is forced.

4.In ya condenser 'for condensing zinc, a rotating screw, journaled at the lower part of the condenser, an opening in the condenser wall, through willich said screw passes and a receiver, fitted to said opening, for receiving the Huid zinc formed during the passage of the zinc powder through -said opening.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

i EDWARD SALOMON BERG LUND.

Witnesses:

. WM. BERNARD BoMAN,

A. BIRCK. 

